Inflated ball



March 27, 1928.

I. I. TUBES INFLATED BALL Original Filed Sept. 22. 1924 Patented Mar.27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IRA IBL TUBBS, OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E.MILLER, OF MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN.

INFLATED BALL.

Original application filed September 22, 1924, Serial No. 739,127.Divided and this application filed December 10, 1927.

This invention relates to an improved inflated ball of the type used forplaying basket ball. It is to be understood, however, that theconstruction can be used in. connection with any ball which is providedwith a cover of leather or other flexible material and inflated throughthe medium of a bladder positioned in the cover and inflated when it isdesired to use the ball. Balls of this character are also used forplaying foot ball, water polo and many other games and are also used aspunching bags.

One object of the invention is to provide an im roved method of closingthe cover of a all containing an inflated bladder. The usualconstruction is to provide a lace, a part of which at least is on theoutside of the cover and which is pulled tight by hand. This inventionwould eliminate any work in connection with the fastening of the coveraround the bladder, and the only act necessary to close the outsidecontainer firmly and ti htly around the bladder would be by the in ationof the bladder itself.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this cover that theportions thereof upon opposite sides of the openin will be drawn towardeach other to close t e opening as the bladder is inflated, the bladderwhen inflated engaging the closing means to impart movement to the sameto effect the closing of the opening.

Another object of the invention is to so construct this cover that theopening will be closed simply by the inflation of the bladder, thusmakin it a very simple matter to prepare the ba 1 for use and furtherermitting the ball to be blown up under a igh pressure. It should benoted in this connection that the higher the air pressure, the tighterthe cover will be drawn upon to ,close the opening;

Anot er object of the invention is to pro- .vide improved means formounting the bladder within the cover with the air inlet of the bladdercommunicating with an opening in the cover so that the bladder can beexpanded and air let out or more air applied or in other words forcedinto the bladder from the outside of the ball without it being nec-Serial No. 239,152.

essary to interfere in any way with the opening through which thebladder is inserted into the cover.

Another obj eot of the invention is to make it possible to construct anouter covering for the ball which will be free from perforations,lacings, or outward projections of any character whatsoever, and toafford a perfectly regular, smooth surface.

Another object of this invention is to rovide a ball which will beregular in orm and elasticity so that pressure applied to any part willproduce exactly the same reaction.

The present case is a division of application Ser. No. 739,127, filedSeptember 22, 1924, and some of the matter disclosed herein is claimedin the parent case.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a View showing the im roved ball in top plan and looking atthe si e having the inlet opening formed therein.

Figure 2 is a sectional. view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig- 1.

Fi ure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing t 1e ball with the air letout of the bladder and the inlet openin spread for insertion or removalof a bladder.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig.3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig.1 with the bladder .in place but not inflated.

The fundamental purpose of this invention is to cause the opening in theoutside container to close upon the inflation of the bladder. Theexactmethod for individual types of balls may vary slightly.

when it is desired to constantly equalize the tension. This equalizationmay be secured by the use of one or more lacings.

This improved playing ball is provided with a cover 1 formed of leatherorany other suitable material and if desired formed in a number ofsections stitched together after the manner usually employed inconstructing basket balls, punching bags, foot balls or other balls ofsimilar construction. This cover is provided with an opening 2' in theform of an elongated slit which when in the closed position will appearas shown in Fig. 1, but which may be spread to an open position as shownin Fig. 3. A small opening 3 is formed in the cover to one side of theslit or main opening 2 and registers with the internally threaded neck 4of the socket plate 5 secured to the inner face ofthe cover. This plate5 is provided with a covering 6 formed of any suitable material such asthin leather or a suitable fabric, the covering 6 serving to preventchafing of a bladder placed within the cover. A' cushion 5 preferably ofrubber, may be insertedbetween the socket plate and the cover. Thepurpose of this cushion is to absorb the jar when the part of the coverdirectly at the outside of the socket plate comes in contact with thefloor or other surface. cover of the ball directly in contact with. thesocket plate there would be more of a shock and a greater sound and theball would not bounce as well. This bladder 7 is inserted into the coverthrough the opening 2 and is provided with a threaded valve neck 8 whichmay be screwed up into the neck 4 as shown in Fig. 5. The detailconstruction of the valve-control. neck is not "shown since this will besimilar to the construction of a valvecontrol inlet used in connectionwith an inner tube of atire.

Flaps 9 have been shown secured to the inner side of the cover 1 atopposite edges of the opening 2 and other flaps 9-are secured to saidinner side of the cover in outwardly spaced relation with said flaps 9,allof the flap extending toward the opening 2. Any

- tact with the inner faceof the cover.

or all of these flaps may be formed by folding a strip of leatheror thelike upon itself and stitching it-sedges to the cover .1, the flaps 9being shown of this formwhile the flaps 9 are illustrated merely in theform of "strips stitched'at one edge to the cover. gtrips or lacings 10extend across the opening 2 and'areconnected to the flaps 9 and 9. Thesestrips or lacings are of such length that when the bladder is inflated,the

portions of the cover'uponopposite sides of the openingwill vbe drawntoward eachother andinto edge contact as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 toentirely close the opening 2 with the flaps and strips positioned inclose con- In the construction shown, the flaps 9 and 9 Were the leather'si tely located apertures forme are formed with spaced eyelets andthere are two lacings 10 interlaced with these eyelets, each lacingconnecting the flap 9 at one edge of the opening 2, with the fiap 9' atthe other edge of said opening.

When the ball is to be inflated, the threaded valve neck 8 may be firstscrewed into the threaded neck of the plate 5 and the bladder thereafterinserted into the interior, or vice versa. The threaded valve neck 8will be screwed into the threaded neck of the plate 5 so that a suitablepump such as a bicycle pump can be employed to inflate the bladder. Whenthe bladder is inflated it is expanded and as it expands it will distendthe cover and through engagement with the flaps 9, cause the stripsor'lacings 10 to be drawn upon, which in turn will draw upon the flaps 9and draw the cover to entirely close the opening 2. It will thus be seenthat the greater the air pressure, the greater will be the pull appliedto the stripsor lacings 10 and the tighter the opening {will be held ina closed position. It will further be noted that the protecting stri 6will prevent chafing which might ten to'wear the bladder and also thatthe air can be readil let out or the pressure increased without 1t beingnecessary to open the cover. -It will be further noted that the inletrofthe bladder is not liable to be damaged as in the case where a: bladderis provided with a neck of rubber tubing which must be folded over andsecured by a rubber band, piece of string or other fastener. V

It is claimed and desired to secure by LettersPatent:

1. In an inflatable ball of the class described, a bladder and a cover,a valve stem for said bladdenan elongated slit in said cover upon itselfand being secured to one of the margins of the insertion opening withits folded edge presented to the slit, said reinforcing strips affordingpockets through which a lace may be extended in lines parallel to theslit, a plurality of airs-of op od in the folded edges of saidreinforcing strips, and a lace passing across said slit on the inside ofthe cover and being passed parallel to theslit through said pockets,substantially as de-- scribed and'illustrated. l

2. In an inflatable ball of the class described, a bladder and a coverhaving an elongated slit therein for the insertion of the bladder,invisible means for closing said slit comprising elements associatedwith the inner surface of the cover and located adjacent said slitaffording elongated pockets through which a lace may be passed inparallelism with the slit, a plurality of spaced pairs of oppositelydisposed apertures affording means of ingress and egress for saidpockets, and a lace passing in and out of said apertures extendingacross said slit on the inside of the cover and through said pockets inparallelism with the slit, substantially as illustrated and described.

3. A pneumatic ball comprising a flexible cover having an opening formedtherein, an inflatable bladder in said cover, and bladder actuated meansfor moving portions of said cover upon opposite sides of said openingtoward each other to close said opening when said bladder is inflated,said bladder actuated means comprising flaps secured to the inner faceof said cover upon opposite sides of said opening and remote therefrom,other flaps similarly secured adjacent said opening, and lacingextending in crossed relation across said opening and slidablyconnecting said remote flaps with said flaps adjacent said opening.

4. A pneumatic ball comprising a flexible cover having an opening formedtherein, an inflatable bladder in said cover, and bladder actuated meanssecured to the inner face of said cover for moving portions of saidcover upon opposite sides of said opening toward each other to closesaid openmg when said bladder is inflated, said bladder actuated meanscomprising flaps upon opposite sides of said opening adjacent theretoand terminating short of said opening, and automatically adjustablemeans connected with said flaps to draw upon said cover and close saidopening when said bladder is inflated.

IRA IRL TUBBS.

